Criminal Justice Research Consortium

1. Criminal Justice Research Consortium Launch 31 October 2006

2. Aims of the CJRC • To enhance the profile of Monash University in the criminal justice field. • To enhance cross-disciplinary collaboration among Monash criminal justice researchers. • To develop high quality cross-disciplinary research proposals and evaluations in criminal justice. • To provide research expertise to government departments and other organisations involved with criminal justice. • To provide cross-disciplinary supervision for research students.

3. Other aims • To provide a link between Monash staff and the criminal justice field. • To respond to needs of the criminal justice field (through advice from an Advisory Committee). • To provide seminars and training to criminal justice organisations.

4. 45 academic staff from: Law Social Work Forensic Psychology Criminology Criminal Justice Rural Health Forensic Psychiatry Linguistics IT Who we are

5. Our expertise • risk assessment and treatment of offenders • cognitive behavioural programs • sentencing, alternative dispute resolution • juvenile justice • community corrections • prisons • alcohol and drug addictions • dangerous offenders, violent offenders • drug courts • forensic mental health, mental health and offending • crime and gender • criminal justice administration • policing, police interviews • linguistics and interviews

6. Research projects • Evaluation of prison transition programs • Analysis of worker-client interviews in juvenile justice • Impact of criminal records on individuals • Analysis of language in police interviews • Risk assessment profiles • Evaluation of sex offender programs • Policing and prolific offenders • Threats of violence • Stalking • Prison health • Children’s Court decision making • Sentencing outcomes

7. Research students: examples of projects • Reducing violence in and around licensed premises (Social Work, Criminal Justice, Forensic Psychiatry) • Analysis of confrontation in juvenile justice interviews (Linguistics, Rural Health, Social Work) • Case management in juvenile justice (Occupational Therapy, Social Work, Criminology)

8. CJRC Executive Committee • Assoc Professor Chris Trotter (Social Work) • Professor Bernadette McSherry (Law) • Professor James Ogloff (Forensic Psychiatry) • Dr David Baker (Criminal Justice) • Dr Gerald Acquaah-Gaisie (Arts) • Dr Kevin Korb (IT) • Assoc Professor Donna Cohen (RPDU) • Dr Richard Huysmans (RPDU)

9. CJRC Advisory Committee (accepted to date) • Corrections Victoria • Department of Human Services – Office for Children • Department of Justice – Public Prosecutions • Melbourne City Mission • Mental Health Legal Centre • Mental Health Review Board • Office of the Public Advocate • VACRO

10. Role of the Advisory Committee • Provide advice on the development, management and maintenance of the CJRC. • Act as a point of contact between CJRC researchers and the field of criminal justice. • Assist with identification of research needs and priorities. • Encourage relevant cross-disciplinary research and research supervision through the CJRC.

11. Progress to date • Executive Committee established • Research students recruited • Increased the membership to 45 Monash staff • Gained funding for evaluation of prison transition programs – other projects underway • Undertaken a workshop with 25 Monash staff • Developed a detailed brochure • Developed a website • Issued invitations to potential Advisory Committee members

12. Next Steps • Research proposals and evaluations • Further seminars/workshops • Recruitment of research students • Liaisons with other agencies • Meeting of Advisory Committee

13. Professor Colin Roberts Director, Probation Studies Unit Centre for Criminology University of Oxford Safer and Surer: Managing persistent and serious offenders.